The use of bathing equipment is well known in the art and dates back farther than the recording of patents. Recognition of the need for improving bathing equipment is also welling documented producing various devices to either ease the necessity of cleaning the skin or provide a therapeutic effect during the bathing process. U.S. Pat. No. 643,094 granted in the year 1900 exemplifies the progression of the art by disclosing an oscillating bathtub for the purpose of agitating the water against the body of the bathing person providing a means for cleansing the skin as well as massaging the body. U.S. Pat. No. 1,080,678 discloses a vapor bath apparatus for sealing a conventional bathtub to prevent hot water steam from escaping providing spa like conditioning. U.S. Pat. No. 1,531,833 discloses an improved bathing apparatus which discharges a shower of liquid in an upward direction from below the occupant who may be in a reclining position. A primary objective of the invention is to subject the body to various kinds of liquid for massage or cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,455 teaches the use of a bath cabinet wherein a patient undergoing hydrotherapy may be subjected to localized treatments of water directed from impacting jets for the excitation or relaxation of the nervous system through spraying of spinal nerves.
In 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,479 disclosed the benefits of having a single occupant Turkish type steam bath by claiming a bath cover for use in the modern home. U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,188 issued in 1986 disclosed a vibratory sauna made from a single enclosure which provides a continuous recirculation of heated air through a housing as opposed to the use of pressurized jets, the implication of which is that the pressurized jets of the prior art are directed to the primary purpose of massaging the body. In 1988 U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,553 disclosed an apparatus for wrapping a hydromassage over the entire body of a person in a single direction by use of at least one water spout distributed according to a cylindrical helix injecting a divergent spout around the perimeter of the occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,981 disclosed yet another bathing device consisting of a cabinet wherein an occupant can enter the cabinet and sit on a seat and a flexible shower handle allows the occupant to bath their body. Of interest is the bathing device use of a reservoir and heating element to generate steam and a means to collect used water and deliver it to a holding tank. In this invention, water supplied from a reservoir to the heating element to generate steam in a holding tank is provided for collection of all used water. In 1988 U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,838 issued disclosing a contrast heating water spa system based upon a single monolithically formed tube that forms two separate chambers having hot aerated water in one chamber and cold water in a second chamber. The hot water is passed through a filter and heater before injection through high pressure ports. In this invention an ozone generator is coupled between the cold and hot water line providing a disinfection to the water circulating system. A cross line after the ozone disinfectant further permits the cross feed of a quantity of hot water into the cold water system, thus keeping the water chambers disinfected. Ozone is a well known disinfectant process used extensively overseas for maintaining municipal water supplies bacteria free. In the United States, water is typically maintained bacteria free by chemical, namely, sodium hypochlorite or chlorine.
Despite the extensive teachings in the prior art, no device has heretofore disclosed the benefits of using water of such quality that the mere rinsing of a person will operate as a solvent so as to dissolve and remove body surface contaminants. The use of high quality water is well known for its rinsing ability and due to its low amount of total dissolved solids, the quality of the water must be measured by either resistivity or conductivity. For instance, it is well known that water having a quality of one mega ohm or greater allows an automobile dealer to rinse an automobile and forego drying of the automobile as there are insufficient contaminants in the water that would allow residual spotting of the finish. Water with the quality of 21 mega ohms is required in the manufacturing of semi-conductor chips wherein the high quality water operates to remove any and all particles from the surface of the chip without the need for chemicals and the associated disposal problems. The use of ozone injected water further operates to enhance the water by placing the oxygen molecule in such a highly agitated O.sub.2 state that during its return to an oxygen O.sub.3 state, it operates to destroy bacteria and other matter present in the fluid.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is an enclosed bathing device that operates to bath the occupant with water of such high quality and in an oxygen agitated O.sub.3 state that the water will operate to cleanse the surface of the skin and pull contaminants from the dermis as well as provide a non-chemical disinfectant to destroy bacteria. Such a device need include an enclosure that allows ease of access for the occupant and provide a recirculation system for recycling of the water.